Arceus High School
by TwilightMockingjay
Summary: Love, heartbreak, friends, enemies, Dawn Berlitz expects all of this at her new school in the Kanto Region, but will she remain the same as she was before she moved here or will she change? And will she change for the better or the worse? [Rated T]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my second Pokemon fanfiction! I plan on making this one longer and more detailed than Unrevealed Affection, which, I have to admit was kind of rushed due to school work and procrastinating on homework. Anyway! I hope you guys enjoy this one and favourite, follow and review! By the way, I don't own Pokemon.**

**Arceus High School**

**Ash's POV:**

I sigh as I take my seat in registration. Who knew that two weeks of Christmas break could be so stressful and hectic? After all, I did do a lot of work - more work than I usually do, that's for sure! - because we were inviting the whole of my mum's side of the family round for Christmas. Man, did that cause me a headache! Kids screaming and rushing everywhere, ladies and men in the living room talking about pointless crap and not to mention the fact that my house was practically bombarded. After each and every day, there was always a mess and I was always the one cleaning it up! I didn't get any peace and quiet at all! I guess I'm thankful to be back in school where the same stuff happens everyday and nothing changes.

"Hey, Ashy Boy!" I hear a masculine voice say. I turn around and see Gary Oak behind me, smirking. I roll my eyes. Don't get me wrong, Gary's been my friend ever since we were young but that nickname he calls me by is _really _annoying and I hate it.

"Gary! Stop calling me that!" I whine, which makes Gary laugh.

"Whatever you say, Ashy Boy!" he chuckles, taking his seat next to me. I ignore him and gaze out the window. I zone out for a while, before a deafening, ear-busting and booming voice brings me back to reality, causing me to jump. I turn away from the window and face the source of the voice - Principal Oak. Why is he here?

"Good morning, Class A. I hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year and I also hope that this term will bring new successes for all of you," I look around and see everyone's eyes fixed on him. "Anyway, I am here to introduce to you Dawn Berlitz, who will be joining your class as of today," He turns to the door and signals for this 'Dawn Berlitz' to come in. I slowly turn my head to the door and find a girl standing there, looking extremely nervous.

I've never seen a girl so beautiful. She has sapphire blue eyes which, at the moment are filled with anxiety, long, straight midnight blue hair in a pony tail and skin paler than milk - literally. She, for one, actually looks good in our school uniform, which, for girls, consists of a white blouse, a crimson red tie, a black blazer with the school logo on it, a navy skirt, black knee length socks and black school shoes.

She walks into the classroom and stands next to our teacher, Ms Brown. She looks down at the floor, not making eye contact with a single person.

"Welcome, Dawn!" Ms Brown trills. "What a pleasure it is to have you as an addition to Class A! Now could you go and sit in that empty seat right over there?" Ms Brown points to the only empty seat in the class which is... opposite me! Oh, great! I have no idea how to talk to a new person and I'll probably make an idiot of myself and she'll probably hate me! _God, Ash! Stop over-thinking! You don't even know the girl yet! You've fallen for her looks, not her personality! _I watch as she pulls the chair out from under the table and sits down. My palms grow sweaty. I'm so going to look like an idiot!

"H-hi! I'm A-Ash," I stutter, trying to hide my apprehension and slow my heart beat. I shakily extend my hand. She holds it and shakes it slightly.

"Dawn," she says, smiling.

Her smile is probably the most breath-taking feature about her! It's so... angelic. Man, now I don't even know how to describe her! She lets go of my hand. I attempt to start a conversation.

"H-how are you?" I ask, saying the first thing that pops into my head. _How are you?! How are you?! Can't you do any better?! _I cringe at my inability to even keep my breath steady around her.

"I'm good... I guess. How about you?" she replies, timidly.

Her voice... it's so sweet and soft! Will the list of good features about her ever stop growing?

"Me? Y-yeah! I-I'm fine!" I say, quickly. I decide not to talk anymore. I'll just end up embarrassing myself. An awkward silence begins to grow when suddenly...

_**Brrring!**_

Yes! Saved by the bell! I quickly gather up my stuff and begin to saunter out of the class when I'm stopped by Ms Brown's stern tone.

"Ash! Come back here!" I quickly turn around and walk towards Ms Brown.

"Y-yes?" I say, wiping my hands down my trouser legs. Dawn is standing right in front of me.

"Aren't you going to show Dawn to her classes?" she asks.

"O-oh! Yeah! Sorry..." I say, scratching the back of my neck. "Come on... D-Dawn!" I say, trying to sound enthusiastic. Butterflies begin to flutter in my stomach as she follows me out of class. I've never had an interest in girls so what made me fall for Dawn? I hardly know her and I already love her.

I pull my timetable out of my pocket and scan it. Our first period is Science. I hate the kind of work we're doing in Science right now! We're cutting open dead Pokemon and looking at their internal organs. It makes me feel sick! I mean, it's not cruel or anything considering they're dead, but it's vile because I don't fancy taking a look inside a Pokemon and studying their hearts, lungs, livers and different systems. I also might have the slightest fear of blood.

* * *

"Okay, class, settle down!" Mr Dorset says, slamming a textbook on the table. "Thank you, Miss Maple! We don't need your constant chatter. Now, as everyone can see, I have placed a dead Pokemon in front of each of you. Your task today is to cut it open and observe the heart. You must draw me a diagram and then write what it looks like. I expect the diagram to look almost identical to the actual heart. Every piece of detail," he explains. The class responds with a bunch of sounds that resemble vomiting. I too, feel sick to my stomach.

"Sir, is this really what we're expected to do?!" a voice yells from the back.

"No arguments! Just follow my instructions! I expect all of this to be done by the end of the double lesson," Mr Dorset concludes. He leaves us alone to do our 'work' in peace. Hah! More like mutilation!

I try to stop myself from throwing up by taking deep breaths. I take a quick glance over at Dawn who is perfectly absorbed in her work, despite the fact that it's so disgusting. I watch her. I wish I could stay as calm as she is. I pick up the small knife, my fingers shaking and lower it so I can cut through the Pokemon's skin. I cringe. I really, really don't want to do this...

I manage to cut down vertically on the dead Pokemon's front side. I don't stop to think about what exactly I'm doing, causing me to cut too deep and cut open its heart. I gag as I examine the inside of its body. Is it even possible to be so dense?! All I had to do was cut a dead Pokemon open and I can't even do that! I groan inwardly at myself and raise my hand.

"Yes, Mr Ketchum?" Mr Dorset asks. I hate it when he calls us by our surnames!

"Can I have another Pokemon, please? I kind of had a little... accident with mine," I say. He stands up and walks over to me. I gulp. Is he going to be mad?

"I see," he says, observing what I've done. "Well, unfortunately, there are no other Pokemon for you to use, so you're going to have to partner up. How about... Dawn?" The butterflies begin to flutter around inside me all over again.

"D-Dawn, sir?" I ask, nervously. Mr Dorset nods. I walk over to Dawn.

"H-hi...!" I say, trying to hide my uneasiness. Dawn whips her head around and sees me. She gives me a half smile.

"Hey," she says, before lowering her head and continuing her work.

"I - uh - have to... w-work with you... I-I kind of failed..." I explain.

"Oh, okay. Well, I've already done the work so I'm just observing the other organs," she says. My eyes pop out of their sockets. She must be really smart!

"C-can I quickly do the assigned work?" I ask.

"Sure," she replies, stepping away from her desk. I stand where she once stood and start observing the heart.

As I take in every detail, I can't help but glace over at her book. Wow! She has such nice hand writing and absolutely amazing drawing skills!I try to copy her drawing but I fail terribly. My lines are no where near as good as her's and the detail that I tried to include is in the wrong places. I sigh. Why is she so perfect?_  
_

* * *

"Dude! That was the worst Science lesson in the history of Science lessons!" Gary exclaims as we sit at a table in the canteen. "I couldn't even draw the heart! It was like 'line here, line here, oops, no, that line's too wonky'. Why does Mr Dorset expect fantastic drawing? It's Science, not Art!"

"Yeah, I know! I cut too deep and ended up cutting open the heart!" I say. "So I had to go and work with Dawn, who finished the work after about twenty minutes of the lesson! And her heart diagram was so detailed, it looked like the real thing! I mean, it practically looked like she taken a photo and -" I'm cut off by the sight of Dawn alone at a table, earphones in her her ears and eyes fixed on the grey clouds outside. "Wait a sec," I say as I walk over to Dawn. She glances over at then slowly turns her head towards me. She takes out an earphone.

"Hi," she says.

"Hey," I smile. _Come on, Ash! Ask her to join you and your friends! _"W-would you l-like to join me a-and my friends?" I ask.

"Um... okay," she picks her bag and follows me to the table. A few of my other friends have arrived. Some of them female, so it shouldn't be so awkward for her.

"Hey, guys!" I say, cheerfully, taking my seat next to Gary. Dawn walks over to a spare seat between Gary and May.

"Can I sit here?" she asks, shyly, which isn't a surprise. Every time I've talked to her, there's been a hint of shyness in her tone that she can't hide.

"Go ahead," May smiles. Dawn cautiously takes the seat, as if someone will eat her up if she isn't careful.

"Calm down, Dawn! Nothing's going to hurt you!" Gary laughs, playfully.

"Dude, she's new! Of course she's nervous!" Kenny says, throwing a grape at his head.

"Hey! Quit throwing grapes!" Gary exclaims.

"Guys, stop harassing her and let her make friends with some of the girls so she gets comfortable," I scold. Dawn smiles at me as if to say 'thank you'. I smile back.

"I'm May. May Maple!" May says.

"Dawn,"

"So, how old are you?" May asks.

"15... you?"

"16. Geez! You're young! When's your birthday?"

"August 16th,"

"Wow! You're like the youngest in the whole of Sophomore year! Wait, no. You are the youngest!" May says, eyes wide. "Can I have your number?"

"Sure," Dawn says, opening her pencil case and taking a pink sticky note out. She quickly writes down her number and hands it to May.

"Thanks!" May says, smiling. The bell rings, indicating the end of break.

The rest of the school day drags on, with me giving Dawn occasional glances and her and May making small talk.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, followed, favourited and read! I thought that this fanfiction would get hardly any views, so I'm really happy! Thanks! :D Sorry this chapter took so long, I was having building work being done in my house.**

**Arceus High School**

**May's POV:**

I slump down in a seat at the back of the bus, my bag on the seat next to me, my blazer resting on top of it. I turn to the window and watch as the other pupils line up in a disorderly queue, waiting to board the school bus. I'm lucky I got here early. I roll my eyes as Iris, the most popular girls- at school exits through the school gates. Everyone immediately moves to let her on first.

I don't get it. Just because she's popular, people treat her like a goddess, but in reality, she's not really that special. Just everything you'd expect a popular girl to be: pretty, skinny, mean and in my opinion, thick. She spends way too much time talking about boys and fixing her appearance that she never does her homework and doesn't pay attention in class. It annoys me because the teacher always has to make sure she understands what we're doing. How did she make it in to the top set for everything? Bribery probably.

Just as I'm about to turn away from the window, something catches my eye; Dawn walking home all on her own. I feel pitiful for her. It must be hard starting a new school and having no real friends. I can't imagine hiw she can bear being so... lonely.

"Can I sit here?" a voice that has got to be Ash's, asks.

"Sure," I say, my eyes still fixed on Dawn. It suddenly occurs to me that I have to move my stuff so Ash can sit. "Sorry!" I quickly scoop my stuff off of the seat and hold it close to me.

"Don't worry about it," Ash grins.

"What's so funny?" I ask, cocking a brow.

"Ah, nothing, just the fact that you were staring out of the window waiting for Drew to walk past!" Ash says, trying to stifle a giggle. I blush and smack him lightly around the head.

"I was not!" I snap. "For your information, my attention was on how lonely Dawn looked when she came out!" Ash leans over to look out of the window.

"I don't see her," he says, pressing his face against the glass. I let out a sigh of exasperation.

"I think she has better things to do with her time than stick around a school she barely knows for no reason," I say, trying not to lose my patience with his stupidity. He sits back on his seat and sighs as the bus engine turns on. I feel a vibration underneath me as the bus slowly starts to move away from the school.

"May, how do you know if you're in love?" Ash asks, suddenly. I turn to him.

"Love? I thought you weren't interested in girls," I say.

"I'm not!" Ash protests, his cheeks a light shade of pink. "I-it's just that my friend is confused about his feelings for this girl," I nod, still not entirely convinced that his friend is the one that's confused.

"Well, let's see. I guess it's when you get this fluttery feeling around them, a bit like butterflies in your stomach, you stutter a lot and don't know how to talk to them," I say.

"Thanks,"

"No problem," I smile. "So, do you do that English essay that we're supposed to hand in tomorrow?" Ash nods.

"I left it until the last minute, but I completed it. Man, I'm still tired from staying up until three last night," I open my mouth to reply when suddenly, Iris pauses next to our seat.

"Hey, Ash!" she squeals. I roll my eyes. She's always had this thing for Ash, ever since the start of Freshman year. I'm not sure what Ash thinks but I find it really pathetic since he's told her that he's not interested. Ash isn't the type to be mean though. Usually.

"Uh, hey, Iris!" Ash says, trying to sound as enthusiastic as she does. She takes a seat on the other side of the bus with just the aisle separating her from Ash.

Now, don't get me wrong, Iris would be an amazing person if she toned the obsession with boys down, brought her grades up a little and didn't start screaming at anyone who tried being friends with Ash.

I decide not to listen in on their conversation anymore and look out the window. Then, he exits through the gates. My heart beat speeds up and the thumping in my chest is louder than a stampede of Mamoswines.

Drew. In my eyes, he's probably the most handsome person ever to exist. In other people's eyes, not so. I mean, his seaweed green eyes and hair the colour of fresh grass is so attractive. Sadly, he doesn't really talk to anyone, so unless I can get him to actually talk to me, I have no chance with him whatsoever. The problem is, that the first time I tried to talk to him, all I could do was stutter and laugh nervously. I made such a fool of myself that I've never talked to him again.

I watch the scenery zoom past as the bus picks up speed, half listening to Ash's conversation with Iris. I hear her say something about a party at her place this Saturday. Ash, however, doesn't get the hint that she's trying to invite him without actually saying that she wants to be there. He just replies vaguely. I manage to stifle a giggle. Iris needs to realise how dense Ash is, stop dropping hints and just get to the point.

"Oh, it's my stop! See you tomorrow, May!" Ash says, slinging his bag over his shoulder and walking off.

"Yeah, see you," I say.

"Bye, Ash!" Iris smiles and then sits next to me.

"Um, hello?" I say, confused. Why is she sitting with me when she hates my guts?

"May, I know we haven't been on friendly terms ever since the start of Freshman year, but right now, I need your help," Iris explains. Why are people suddenly coming to me for advice?

"Well, what's your problem?" I say, getting to the point.

"I love Ash and I really want to tell him, but I don't know how,"

"Well, start off the conversation casually, you know, with a 'hi, how are you?' and then, start dropping hints, then, just as you guys get a good conversation going, drop the bomb," I know, it's really bad advice but I tried my hardest. It's not like I'm an expert on love or anything.

"Can you tell me what kind of stuff Ash likes?"

"Um, he's into football and video games - typical guy stuff," I pause. Even though he's my best friend, I'm finding it extremely hard to describe what he likes. "Oh, yeah! He loves food! Food is basically what his life revolves around. I guess that's why we're best friends! We both have that factor in common!" Iris nods, as if she's taking notes.

"Thanks, May! You're the best! Maybe I should confess tomorrow at lunch time! You know, when he's eating!"

"Bad idea," I say. "He'll be so involved with his food that he won't even pay attention to what your saying. I'd suggest after he eats. Well, see you!" I stand up and stride off the bus, leaving Iris sitting there with a grin on her face. I wonder how her confession will go. I mean, Ash couldn't be into Iris... could he? I know him well enough to know that he's never been too keen on the popular girls, even though he is pretty popular. I thought he'd like someone like Misty, who he knew before high school. Or he could like Dawn... I mean, isn't it a coincidence that the day Dawn starts, he comes to me for advice on girls?

* * *

"I'm home!" I yell, running up the stairs. I throw my bag and blazer on to the bed and flop down next to them. I'm not sure if I should confront Ash about my suspicions or should I wait for him to admit it? It's so obvious, yet so... easy to be wrong.

"May! Come down!" Max, my little brother hollers up the stairs. I sigh and obediently make my way down.

"Yes?" I say when I get to the bottom of the staircase.

"It's tea time!" Max exclaims, running into the dining room. I follow him.

All throughout my meal, I think about how Ash must be feeling, whether or not to confront Ash and if I should tell him about Iris...


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reads, reviews, favourites and follows this fanfiction. It means a lot and it's what keeps me going! :D Now that the building work is done, I can update more often! Oh, and sorry if it appears I spelled some words such as 'favourite', 'realise' and 'colour' in the British way. It's just because I am British so that's the way I usually spell. Anyway! On with the fic! :D**

**Arceus High School**

**Dawn's POV:**

Arceus High School isn't so bad. I mean, despite the fact that I'm not yet used to it, I'm not finding it that bad! It's not as bad as my previous school in Unova where I was hated. I suppose my mum getting a new job here, in Kanto, was a good thing, although I'd love if we could just move back to Twinleaf Town. I'd spent practically all my life there, until we moved to Unova two years prior. I reminisce the horrible memories of everyone at school excluding me and treating me like an outcast. The only reason people would talk to me was because they wanted to say something mean. Some people actually went to the extent of being violent towards me. I guess you could say I got bullied there.

"Perfect," I say, smiling at my reflection as I clip curl the last few strands of midnight blue hair. I get up and walk over to the door as gracefully as possible, picking my bag up in the process. I stand there, leaning against the door frame, examining my house.

It sure is bigger than my house back in Twinleaf Town, so big that I feel that I could get lost if I'm not careful. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating about its size, but it's not like I've lived here very long - we moved in two days before I started school so some of our furniture is still in boxes. We only unpacked the essentials, such as sofas, beds, tables and chairs. Everything else is still in boxes, excluding our clothes and my laptop, which we bundled into the boot of the car.

I walk down the stairs and go into the kitchen. My feet still hurt from yesterday. Note to self, never walk from school to home or vice versa. Even those it may seem like a short distance in a car, it's much longer on foot. I put a slice of bread in the toaster and wait. I think I'll just take the bus today, considering my mum's already at work. I don't want to exhaust myself again.

After eating breakfast, I exit the house and make my way to the bus stop. A few minutes later, I see the bright yellow bus make its way towards the bus stop. I grip my bag tightly in an attempt to comfort me. I don't understand. What am I so scared, worried and nervous about? Maybe I'm just paranoid. Paranoid that what happened at my previous school will happen again. _Calm down, Dawn! Remember, no need to worry! _I tell myself. Right at that minute, my mum's voice creeps in to my head. _That's when I worry most. _I feel like ripping my hair out! Am I going crazy?!

I force a smile as I board the bus and try to put my worries behind me. I sit down on the first free seat that I see. The person sitting next between me and the window turns from the glass to face me. Ash, my guide from yesterday.

"Hey!" I say.

"H-hi!" he says, before turning away. Well that was weird. Why does he sound so nervous? I shrug it off and look around the bus. I see many people, including that girl from yesterday - May - in front of me. I tap her on the shoulder and she turns around fully in her seat to face me.

"Oh! Hi, Dawn!" she smiles.

"Hi," I smile back.

"How are you?"

"I'm great, I guess... you?"

"I'm fine! Are you liking our school?" I take a minute to think about this question before answering.

"Yeah, it sure is better than my old school,"

"Where was your old school?" she asks.

"In Unova..." I say.

"So, you're from Unova?"

"No! No way!" I say in half in horror, half in shock. Do I really seem like I'm from Unova? "I'm from Sinnoh,"

"I've heard that Sinnoh is a really nice place," May compliments. I nod.

"Yeah, I miss it a lot," I say, trying to hide my sadness. I miss my home - the home I used to know. I miss the people there. I wouldn't even mind being called Dee Dee now! But, most importantly, I miss the feeling of genuine happiness all the time. When I moved to Unova, I became so - what's the word? Depressed, perhaps? I became so depressed that I felt like I could never be happy again. At least now in Kanto, I feel somewhat better. May turns to Ash.

"Hey, Ash, have you ever been to Sinnoh?" she asks. Ash shakes his head.

"I've seen a bunch of pictures of it though! It really is beautiful!" Ash gives a small smile.

"Oh, Ash..." May says. Ash looks at her, curiousity in his eyes. She cocks her head towards a slim girl with tanned skin and hair the colour of dark purple grapes. She turns around to look at me, May and Ash. Her big eyes are a light shade of brown. She winks in our direction and then turns around and starts giggling so quietly, it's just about audible. I turn to look at Ash who has a confused look on his face.

The bus finally arrives at school. I get off the bus without a word and make my way over to the school gates which are just a few metres away, when I'm stopped by a voice.

"Dawn!" I turn around and see the purple haired girl signalling for me to go to her. I slowly approach her, feeling confused and slightly paranoid.

"Y-yeah?" I say.

"You're new, right?" she asks.

"Yeah..." I reply.

"Well, I'm Iris!" she says in a cheery voice. "Have you got any friends?"

"N-no... not exactly..." By the way a gang of people are standing behind her, I take a wild guess and make out that she is pretty popular.

"Well, you can hang out with us if you like!" she concludes.

"Um... thanks?" I squeak. I cough and quickly correct myself. "I-I mean, thanks!" Without warning, she links arms with me and marches off into the school playground. All eyes are on us and people start gathering round. I feel my body begin to tense but I try to ignore it and tell myself to calm down. Maybe I have a chance to be liked at this school so I should take this opportunity.

* * *

I take a seat at a lunch table between the purple haired girl, who I now know as Iris and another girl with orange hair who previously introduced herself as Misty. I've grown slightly better at not getting nervous around huge gangs of people. Hopefully by the end of these next two weeks, I'll have no problems.

"So, Dawn," Iris suddenly says. I turn to her.

"Yeah?"

"Do you see that guy over there? With the jet black hair? You know? The one that showed you around yesterday?" she asks. I follow her gaze and fix my eyes on Ash, who's back is facing us. He's only a few tables away.

"You mean Ash? Yeah, what about him?" A hint of excitement flashes through her eyes as a huge grin spreads along her face.

"Well, I've had a huge crush on him ever since the start of Freshman year and today, I'm going to tell him!" she squeals. For some reason, I have a feeling this won't turn out particularly well.

"Well, I hope it all goes well for you!" I smile. "No need to worry!"

"Can you come with me?" Iris proposes. I hesitate before answering.

"Uh... sure!" I plant a false smile on my face and stand up.

"Not yet! When he's done eating!" Iris whispers. I sit down.

The canteen is buzzing with ear-deafening chatter, laughter and an occasional shout or scream. I feel my head spinning as people surround the table that I'm sat at. I didn't realise how crowded it had become. I'm only good at being around people that I know slightly well, not random strangers. I try to calm down by taking deep, shallow breaths but no one seems to notice.

"He's finished!" Iris cries loudly, informing the whole group that Ash is done with his lunch. A unusual feeling arises within me. For some reason, I don't want to know what the outcome will be. I don't want Ash to know. I shrug it off. It's probably just my nervousness eating away at me.

Ash walks out of the canteen, taking no notice of Iris's huge gang - he's probably used to her being surrounded by people, after all she is one of the most popular girls at school and apparently, so am I.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry about the short chapter! It's just I really wanted to do the confession in Iris's POV, so here it is! Hope you enjoy! :D**

**Arceus High School**

**Iris's POV:**

My heart begins to race as I approach Ash, who is sitting casually against a tree, with his blazer underneath him, talking to May, Gary, Tracey and Zoey. He hardly ever hangs out with other people, even though so many people would give up so much just to be with him for twenty minutes. I have my usual populace consisting of Misty, Paul and Barry around me, as well as Dawn, who I invited in to the group because she has the potential to be as popular as us. Not everyone is special enough to receive an invitation like that from me.

I bite my lip nervously to stop myself from looking the way I feel. I mentally slap myself and tell myself there's nothing to worry about. I breath in and out silently from my nose. My mind is whirring and I feel sick. Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"No need to worry!" Dawn smiles, a cheery tone in her voice. I'm guessing she must have sensed my discomfort. I nod and start playing with my hands as Ash turns to us.

"Oh, hi, Iris, Misty, Paul, Barry," Ash looks at all of us as he says our names. He pauses. "A-and h-hi, D-Dawn!" I narrow my eyes as he fixes his gaze on Dawn. Why did he suddenly become so... infatuated and nervous? Does he love... Dawn? He can't! He doesn't even know her that well! "Uh, so, th-these a-are your f-friends?" he asks. Dawn nods.

"Yeah, I guess," Ash is standing up now and scratching the back of his head, a gesture I've often seen when he doesn't know an answer in class. He's definitely nervous and shy around Dawn.

"So, Ash... I came to tell you something..." I pipe up, trying to hide my jealousy and envy. Ash tears his attention away from Dawn and looks at me.

"Yeah?" he prompts. I feel like I've just taken a drug because my heart seems to be overworking, I'm confused and dizzy and I feel really hot.

"I-I..." I let out a little cough. My mouth is so dry. It's like a desert in there. Who knew that longing for someone could make you so... hazy?

"You?" Ash presses. His eyes are showing how eager he is to find out what I want to say. I can't believe he hasn't realised yet. How can someone be this dense? I catch sight of Zoey rolling her eyes behind him. I shoot her a look at then turn back to Ash.

"D-don't freak out... or... a-anything..." I close my eyes and let out a breath. I can do this if I just pull myself together. I just need to calm down. "But, I... l-love..." I pause as I watch a few, tiny, white flakes of snow drift from the light grey clouds above. They calm me down immensely. "Ash, I love you," I finally say. My chest feels like it's loosening up and my shoulders feel like they don't have a two hundred kilogram weight on them. I clench my fists in anticipation and look up at the branches of the bare tree as I wait for a reply. _If he says no, it doesn't matter, _I continuously tell myself. I look down and see the expression on Ash's face. Shock, confusion and disbelief all merged into one. His eyes are wide in abash.

"Seriously?!" he proclaims. I nod, sheepishly. "Wow... I-I don't know what to say, Iris..." Ash looks over at Dawn, as if he's looking for an answer, but Dawn is watching the snowflakes fall to the ground and melt.

"Well?" I ask.

"S-sorry, Iris... but I don't... like you in that way," Ash's words echo in my head as I try to take it all in. "I still like you as a friend, though!" I don't take any notice of his last sentence. All that I can think about is the fact that he doesn't love me back. I can basically feel my heart stop and hear it shatter. So, this is what heart break feels like. Tears well up in my eyes, threatening to let loose, but this time, I let them. They trickle slowly down my tanned face as I comprehend what happened. I was so stupid for telling him!

"Iris," I hear Dawn say in a soft voice. She puts a hand on my shoulder to comfort me, but I shrug it off and run across the damp, green grass to the bathroom.

Luckily, it's nearly the end of lunch, so it's practically deserted in here apart from one girl, doing her hair. She doesn't take any notice of me. I wait until she leaves before I lock myself in a cubicle and start sobbing. I repeatedly wipe my eyes and every time I think I'm okay, I remember Ash's words and the tears flow down my cheeks again.

_"S-sorry, Iris... but I don't... like you in that way,"_

I hear the bell ring, indicating that it's time for lessons, but I'm not going anywhere. I don't want anyone to see me in this state. I'll never be able to face Ash again - not after he broke my heart.

"Iris? Iris, come on out!" I hear Misty call in an unusual, soothing voice. I've never heard her sound so... caring.

"No," I whisper defiantly, my voice shaking.

"Come on, it's time for class and it's English!" Misty's voice seems closer now.

"Ash will be there..." I wail.

"No, he won't! Remember, he's one set above us!"

"I don't want anyone to see me,"

"Iris, you can't run from the truth forever. You're going to have to face it some day, so why not today? Who cares about what Ash says, he should mean nothing to you. If he doesn't love you, he isn't worth your tears or sadness," I hear another voice say. It has to be Dawn's, no one else could be so persuasive yet so nice.

I slide the handle to unlock the cubicle door and step out, dabbing my eyes.

"Wow, Dawn," Misty looks amazed. "You're really good with words!" Dawn just nods and smiles at me.

"Thanks, Dawn," I beam as I pick up my hand bag and stride out.

* * *

"So, Iris, Misty, what excuse do the two of you have for being late this time?" Professor Rowan asks as I look around the room, bored as hell. As you can imagine, we got a detention for being late to class.

"Well, we had a bit of an... emotional time at lunch," Misty explains. Professor Roan cocks a brow.

"And, what exactly happened?"

"Well, I don't think it would be appropriate if I filled you in on all the details," Misty takes a moment to smirk as I try to stifle a giggle. She makes it seem... dirty. "But, let's just say, it ended with Iris in tears, so I had to comfort her,"

"I see," Professor Rowan walks back up to the front of the class. "Well, I want you to write the following," Professor Rowan picks up a white board marker and writes 'I must not be late under any circumstances'. "You must write this one hundred and fifty times," I groan inwardly. I open my pencil case, take out a blue pen and start writing.

The rest of the hour drags on with Misty and I writing lines and quickly mouthing things to each other while Professor Rowan's back is turned.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Again, thanks to everyone who follows, reviews, favourites and reads! A special thanks to Jak Tube for being my official reviewer! :) I'm so sorry this took so long to upload. :( And, if you guys could recommend some cover photos, that would be awesome! This chapter will involve some violence and swearing. And it takes place the day after Ash rejects Iris.**

**Arceus High School**

**Ash's POV:**

My heart pumps as I enter through the school gates, ten minutes later than I usually do. Somehow, I know that the word about me rejecting Iris has gotten around and I'm nervous to see what the reaction will be. Hopefully, it won't be too bad, I mean, lots of girls like me and I've mentally rejected each one - I've even told them I don't like them. I guess none of them have really appealed to me.

As soon as I enter the canteen which is usually full of a cacophony of people laughing, chatting, shouting, screaming and doing last minute homework, I'm stopped by the sudden wave of silence. All eyes are on me. I gulp down the nervousness. It's probably just the fact that I'm slightly late. Yet, I can't help but feel my stomach do a flip. I flash a quick, forced smile and turn to the door. However, my plans to exit the canteen are foiled when I see Barry and Paul, two of Iris's friend that are so strong and muscular that they seem like her bodyguards, blocking the door.

"Excuse me," I try to sound confident but it comes out as a croak. Probably because I have practically the whole school watching me. Barry and Paul look at each other, identical amused looks plastered on their faces.

"Is excuse me all you can say, you little cunt?" Barry asks, laughing.

"If you have the guts to reject Iris, why don't you make us move?" Paul challenges.

"Just move," I say.

"What if we don't fucking move? What then?" Barry says gruffly. I can feel the tension between us and at least one thousand pairs of eyes boring into my back.

"Well, I'd just take another -" I don't even get to finish my sentence when the first punch to my face is delivered. As I take in what just happened, the left side of my face throbs with pain and I feel the slightest bit woozy. Behind me, I can hear a mixture of responses from the audience. Some people are gasping, some are laughing, some are chanting for me to hit one of them back and some are cheering them on.

I'm not usually one to get involved in a fight but the sight of them waiting for me to hit them back is so provoking, I clench my fist and land a perfectly aimed punch right on Paul's mouth. The red liquid spills from a cut on his lips, trickling down and leaving a red stain on his previously white school shirt. I look over at Barry who is narrowing his eyes.

"Time to get serious," he murmurs, loud enough for me to hear. I glance down at his shaking fist. He starts to move it and just when he's about to punch the other side of my face, I stop his fist with my own hand. For a moment, he looks surprised. I take this chance to deliver the final attack.

Once again, I clench my fist. Slowly, I pinpoint my target and lift my fist up to punch him when suddenly, I feel a sharp pain in my ribs. I uncurl my fist and clutch my left side. Only one person could have punched me while I was aiming at Barry - Paul. I turn my head to him and watch his bloodshot eyes lighten up with victory and glee. A smirk is set upon his lips. And then, a sound escapes him. All that can be heard is the sound of Paul's menacing laughter.

"I don't go down that easily, bastard," Paul jeers. He prepares his fist for the knock out blow. I wince as I ready myself for the pain I'll have to endure after I slip back into consciousness. He fist gets closer and closer when it's abruptly stopped by someone's hand. I recognise the flawless blue hair that flows down her back like a waterfall immediately. Dawn.

"Dawn!" Barry yells in shock. "What are you doing?! He hurt Iris so now, we're going to pay him back!"

"No!" her voice has a sharp tone to it. "You can't just hurt him because he doesn't love Iris! It's not his fault she doesn't appeal to him! You can't force him to love her! It's his own choice, you don't control his life so you can't change it!" I smile weakly at her words. Barry and Paul are taken aback.

"Dawn! You're siding with... t-the enemy?!" Iris's tearful voice emerges from the crowd. Dawn turns away from Barry and Paul and faces Iris.

"Oh, please. This isn't war! Stop being such a drama queen about it,"

"I thought you were on my side!" Iris's anger is quickly rising.

"I was until you decided to take drastic measures," Dawn snaps. She turns to me. "Come on, Ash," her voice softens as she slings my left arm over her slender shoulders. The pain of the wounds and the defeat are quickly replaced by a warm feeling. The girl I love is on my side. Dawn slowly turns and waits for me to face the alternative exit and then starts nonchalantly walking while I hobble along by her side, trying to decrease the amount of pain that jolts up my left side.

"Yeah, well, we're no longer friends!" Iris yells from behind.

"It's not like I wanted to be your friend, sket," Dawn mutters under her breath. I smirk. Even though Dawn is probably one of the nicest people you could meet, she isn't afraid to stand up for herself.

When we're in the hallway, I turn to Dawn in an attempt to start a conversation. I quietly clear my throat so my voice doesn't come out sounding like a mouse and then start talking.

"Thanks for what you did back there, D-Dawn," I start out great but her name causes my voice to falter. What? It's not my fault that the thought of her sends shivers up my spine! She turns to me and gives me a timid smile.

"It's fine. Just helping out a friend," I practically stop breathing at the last sentence. A friend? So she does take note of me? The bell rings and students start piling out of the canteen. Suddenly, something occurs to me. We're going in the exact opposite direction to our registration class.

"Dawn, this is the wrong way," I state. She gives me a puzzled look.

"What do you mean?" she asks.

"I mean, our registration class is the other way," I turn my head towards the stairs. Dawn lets out a little laugh.

"I think I know the way to the welfare room, Ash," My cheeks flush crimson red with embarrassment. How could I be so dense? Of course I can't go to class in this state! I can't even walk! Without Dawn's support, I would have collapsed now. I'm really glad she came to my rescue. I'd probably be unconscious or dead right now if she hadn't. Okay, maybe I'm over reacting about it being a life and death situation, but my ribs hurt so much, they could be broken.

Dawn instantaneously stops. I look at her as if to ask her why but before I can get the question out, her shallow breaths give away the answer. I realise that I've been putting nearly all my weight on her and obviously, being the thin, tenuous girl she is, she couldn't go on for very long.

"Sorry," I feel pretty guilty for letting myself get lost in my thoughts and making Dawn do all the work. She dismisses the apology with a small shake of her head.

"It's fine, no need to worry," she simpers before continuing the journey to the welfare. As people are now leaving their registration classes and making their way to the first period of the day, we get a few weird looks from a few people and a couple of "oohs" from others.

* * *

"Will he be okay?" Dawn asks in concern as the nurse prods my ribs. I wince as she does so. She's already run an x-ray that has shown that no bones have been damaged.

"Yes, he will. There wasn't much harm done, thankfully, just a few bruises on the exterior," the nurse stands up and walks away. Dawn takes a seat next to my bed and sighs.

"What's wrong, Dawn?" I inquire.

"Ash, you do realise that most of the school is against you, right?" I cock a brow at this. I didn't think that the rejection would be taken that harshly.

"Well, I know now," I say bitterly and close my eyes. She has a valid point but what could I have done to stop it? Play with Iris's feelings? No, that would have caused a lot more uproar than the current situation has. Great, I just lost my popular status and dragged Dawn down with me.

"But, I'm on your side, just so you know," I give her a grateful smile.

"Thanks, Dawn. Hey! Want to go somewhere after school today?" Dawn looks at me, eye brows raised.

"Like where?" she asks. It's so obvious that she's surprised at my sudden proposal. Even her best act can't hide it.

"I don't know. The movies, the park, your call!"

"The park. There's no movies that I like at the moment," Dawn confirms. I shuffle around on the bed, trying to sit up, but Dawn's voice stops me. "Lay down, Ash. You need the rest,"

"Fine," I sulk, like a five year old who didn't get a toy they wanted.

"Ash, are you sure going somewhere today is a good idea? You know, with your injuries?" I nod.

"It's fine,"

"Maybe we should go another time. You know, when you're better?"

"Well, do you want to come to my house," I ask. By Dawn's fearful and shocked expression, I realise how weird and wrong that question sounded. "I'm not like that! I promise!" I protest. Dawn calms down.

"Sorry, it's just that the fact suddenly occurred to me,"

"You don't need to apologize, it was my question," I feel like slapping myself.

"So, it's settled? Your house," Dawn says. I nod and then drift off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

"This is it," I say, showing Dawn my petite but cozy house. She gazes up in awe at it.

"Oh, wow! Your house is so cute! I love the colour!" she exclaims. I smile and then wince as I ring the doorbell. The swelling has gone down, but the pain remains and the injuries are still so obvious and visible. My mum will obviously want an explanation. My mum opens the door.

"Hello, Ash. Oh, my! What happened to you?" My mum has a tone of worry and shock in her voice. I don't feel like explaining so I divert her attention to Dawn.

"Before we get to that, I'd like you to meet my new best friend. Mum, this is Dawn. Dawn, this is my mum,"

"Oh, hello, Dawn!" my mum squeals, grabbing her hand and shaking it.

"Hello, Mrs. Ketchum," Dawn smiles.

"Oh, no, please. Call me Delia," I roll my eyes. Typical. My mum turns to me.

"So, Ash. Care to explain what happened and why your face has bruises on it?" I lower my head. Great, just what I was trying to avoid.

"Uh, I kind of got into a little fight," I lie. My mum narrows her eyes.

"'A little fight'? Ash, don't lie to me," she says, sternly. How can she tell that I'm lying? Dawn decides to keep her mouth shut through this. I look behind my mum. If I'm fast enough, I can dart up the stairs and into my room. I ready myself. _On your marks, get set, go! _I tell myself and then I'm off, faster than a rocket. My mum just lets out a sigh.

"He'll never tell me the truth," I hear my mum say. _That's because guys aren't supposed to cry to their mums! _I mentally reply.

* * *

A while later, I hear a knock on my bedroom door.

"Ash, can I come in?" Dawn's voice asks. I stand up and open the door.

"Yeah, sure," I say with a smile. She takes a step in and closes the door behind her. Her sea blue, sapphire eyes stare in to my chocolate brown ones, as if searching for an answer. A few moments later, she turns her head, breaking the eye contact.

"Ash, why did you reject Iris?" she asks, her attention focused on the snow blanketing other roofs outside. I take a minute to think about my answer. Let's see, there's a lot of stuff I dislike about her, but if I named the whole list, Dawn would probably fall asleep. Yes, the list is that long.

"Well, I guess she doesn't appeal to me... I mean, if you saw how she treated some people at school, you'd hate her too," I say. Dawn leans against the wall.

"But, Ash -"

"Let's drop the subject, Dawn," I look up at the white ceiling. Iris's face appears. Her face is damp with tears, some still falling from her eyes. Her bottom lip is trembling and she looks so miserable. A pang of guilt hits me. I know that it was the best thing to do, but I've left her heartbroken. I shake my head to clear the image from my head.

* * *

"Try and catch me, Ash!" Dawn yells, running a few meters ahead of me. I chase after her, grinning. Despite her head start, I manage to catch up with her. She stops suddenly, causing me to slam right in to her. I manage to balance myself but she falls forward. Mid way through the fall, she turns and lands on her back. Luckily, the snow cushions her fall. I hold out my hand. She grabs it and I pull her up.

"Sorry, Dawn!" I scratch the back of my head. To my surprise, her reply isn't what I expected it to be.

"No! You should have looked where you were going!" she turns away from me and stands with her arms folded across her chest. My mouth is hung wide open as tears of hurt fill my eyes. She hates me. I quickly blink them away. She bends down and gathers some snow together.

"What are you doing?" I ask, trying to hide the hurt in my voice.

"Looking for something," she replies, bitterly. I turn to look at the bare trees, covered in white, in the distance to my left. I sigh glumly. Great, I just ruined everything! It was going smoothly until now. I was beginning to feel confident around her and I even managed not to stutter but now, I had to go and spoil everything! Why am I so stupid?! Why do I wreck the best things in my life? I ruined my relationship with my mum by not talking to her often enough and then, getting to the point where I can't even tell her the truth about me getting beaten up!

Suddenly, something cold and hard hits me in the side of my face. I turn to see Dawn, her face creasing with laughter.

"You believed it! I'm a pretty good actress, aren't I?" Dawn says between giggles. She calms down when she sees my serious expression. Now it's my turn to laugh.

"I'm a great actor! You thought I was actually offended!" I guffaw. Dawn looks slightly affronted for a moment but then shrugs it off and joins in with my laughter.

When we calm down, I throw a snowball at her. Because her guard is down, it hits her square in the face. She glares daggers at my throat and then fires a snowball at me, which I dodge. This angers her and she hurls another at me. It hits me in the leg. I then fling one at her. Soon, it progresses into a full scale snowball fight.

* * *

"That was so much fun!" I exclaim as we walk to the front door. Dawn nods in agreement.

"Today was the best!" Dawn smiles. "I have to go now, Ash, but I'll see you at school tomorrow!"

"See you!" I hold my hand up for a high five. Dawn gets the message. Our hands clap together as a cold wind blows through Dawn's cobalt hair.

"Wait! Take my number!" Dawn says. I smile and give her my phone. We exchange numbers.

"Should I walk you home?" I ask. Dawn takes a moment to think before shaking her head.

"No, I live pretty close, I should be okay," she then turns away and starts walking down the snow covered pavement. I watch her body draw further and further away until she vanishes, out of sight. I close the door and press my back against it.

"Have fun?" a feminine voice asks. I turn to my mum who is watching me from the kitchen.

"Loads! Dawn's really cool!" I grin, reminiscing today's events.

"Sounds like my little boy has a crush!" my mum teases. I turn beetroot.

"M-mum! How could you think that!" I yell in protest.

"Come on, don't deny it!" she argues.

"I don't," I whine. She gives me the 'I know you're lying look', so I give up trying to hide it. "Fine! I do! But if you tell her!" I decide not to finish the threat. My mum shakes her head.

"My lips are sealed," she promises. I smile at her. Maybe I can rebuild what I've ruined. I thunder up the stairs and run into my room. I pull out my phone and text Dawn.

_**Ash: Hey, Dawn! :) Are you home yet?**_

_**Dawn: Just got in the house.**_

_**Ash: Well, how about you come to my house again tomorrow?**_

_**Dawn: Honestly, I'd love to, but we're having guests.**_

_**Ash: Oh.**_

But I don't just feel kind of upset, I feel so disappointed that I could cry. What else am I meant to do tomorrow?

_**Dawn: Sorry. :(**_

_**Ash: No, it's fine.**_

I switch my phone up and make my way downstairs.

"Mum, do you want any help?" I ask. She looks kind of surprised.

"Why?" she asks.

"I have nothing better to do," I say, shrugging my shoulders.

"Well, I guess you could wash those few dishes in the sink," she says. I walk over to the sink and start cleaning the dishes.

* * *

After dinner, I turn on my phone to find three texts from Dawn.

**_Dawn: Ash! My mum has to go out of town tomorrow for work so the guests can't come! :D_**

**_Dawn: Ash, May invited us to Drew's party, want to go?_**

**_Dawn: Ash?_**

My fingers zoom across the keyboard.

_**Ash: Sorry, I was eating. I'd love to go.**_

Almost immediately, Dawn replies.

**_Dawn: Awesome! So, it's at 8:00pm, make sure you tell your mum and don't be late._**

My heart pounds. She wants me to go to a party with her! I quickly rush downstairs.

"Mum! I'm going to a party at 8:00pm tomorrow with Dawn!" I pant.

"Who's house?" she inquires.

"Drew's," I reply.

"That's fine. Remember to change your underwear!" I groan. I hate when my mum says that. I go back upstairs but this time to the bathroom. I take a look at how badly my face has been affected. I have a black eye, a few bruises and a small scar on the left side. The right side is normal. I lift up my shirt and look down at my ribs. Sure enough, I see four black bruises. I poke one of them and gasp in pain. Great, how am I going to cover my face up?


End file.
